Caledon Baked Oatmeal

Posted under Healthy Eating by coryelvidge

Ok, in light of the insane April snowstorms that we’ve been having, I figured that I could still get away with throwing in another fabulous wintery dish. If you like oatmeal, this recipe is so so yummy!!! The first time I made it, I ended up making it 3 days in a row lol. YUM! Tosca Reno (the creator), says it is the most forgiving dish and I totally agree. You can throw anything into it and it always turns out delicious! In the spring she recommends throwing in raisons and vanilla, in the winter she recommends plenty of cranberries, cinnamon and nutmeg (which I am a big fan of!). Dress it up any way that you like!

- 2 cups old-fashioned oats

- 2 cups low-fat or skim milk or the liquid of your choice

- 1/2 tsp best-quality vanilla

- 1/2 cup slivered almonds

- 1/2 cup dried cranberries or dried fruit of your choice

- 1 large unpeeled, firm MacIntosh apple, grated

- 4 Tbsp maple syrup (the cooking kind, not the sugar diluted pancake topping)

- cooking spray

Preparation:

1- Preheat  oven to 400 degrees. Coat a large (3 qt) casserole dish with cooking spray.

2- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. If you are preparing this the night before, don’t add the liquid ingredients like milk and the grated apple until morning.

3- Place mixture in  casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. (towards the end of cooking time, watch carefully… this dish can go from perfectly tender to crispified very quickly.)

WHY  IS  IT  HEALTHY? : Cranberries are rich in flavonoids, which have been found to possess anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. Oatmeal is a miracle substance in and of itself. Oats offer super-charged nutrition! They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, soluble fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants and more. It is the only whole grain PROVEN to remove cholesterol, lower blood pressure, help maintain regular bowels, and reduce heart disease. This meal also has little-to-no fat or sugar but has a good amount of protein to help lower weight and strengthen muscle.